No Black Today
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: It's going to be a beautiful day. OW.


Title: "No Black Today"  
Author: Kat Lee  
Rating: G/K  
Summary: It's going to be a beautiful day.  
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, names, codenames, places, items, fandoms, titles, and etc. are always © & TM their respective owners, not the author, and are used without permission. Any and all original characters and everything else is © & TM the author and may not be reproduced in any way without the author's express, written permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

The early morning sun was just beginning to creep into the Eastern sky when Mary Travis stepped out of her office to begin her route, walking up and down Main Street which was also, really, the only street in Four Corners bound to have actual activity on it throughout the majority of the day other than people walking to and from their houses to reach said street. It was rare for more than a few people, mainly the shopkeepers, to be awake at this hour of the morn and even rarer to be greeted with laughter. Mary turned toward the chuckles and smiled.

They had all been through a hard time lately, and so it would have been nice to see any one feeling cheerful and well enough to laugh. To spot Buck and JD, two of Mary's favorite townspeople, actually playing, as grown men were apt to do, like little boys again especially warmed her heart. Her smile grew to light her face with a golden hue as she watched the men fussing over JD's bowler hat, JD constantly scrambling after it as Buck tossed it around the dusty road.

Mary knew that the only reason why Buck bothered JD so much about his bowler was because he knew the Kid had an affinity where the hat was concerned. It was something he could easily pick on him about without actually hurting the younger man's feelings, and Mary knew how much Buck loved to tease those for whom he cared. She also remembered well catching him with a dime store novel herself, and thus, she knew that, no matter how times Buck declared the bowler was not a real hat, he actually did like Bat Masterson.

"Good morning, Missus Travis."

Mary turned toward the bright sound of a friendly voice, still smiling. "Nathan," she greeted the healer.

"I'll take one of those papers, please," Nathan spoke, offering her a coin.

Mary took the coin obligingly. Nathan was one of very few people whom she would have given a paper to even if he had not been able to pay. "Looks like we got a fine day coming in."

Mary looked around her once more. People were beginning to go about their day. The morning sunlight bathed the entire street and the few businesses that liked it in a seemingly especially rosy glow, and she could tell already that it was going to be a day without a single cloud in the sky. She turned her smile back onto Nathan. "Yes, I believe it will be."

He nodded. "'Bout time. You have a good day now, Missus Travis."

"I will," she said as Nathan waved to her and continued his short trek to his office.

She began to call out, announcing the paper. After she had dealt with the few other customers who wanted a copy, she took a moment's breath, leaning against a post and found Vin Tanner standing just a few steps beside her.

"Mornin'." His hat hung behind his neck, but he nonetheless pressed two fingers to his temple in a salute.

She smiled at him. "Good morning, Mister Tanner."

Vin's sky blue eyes sparkled as he returned her grin. "Are we still . . . "

He quickly coughed and looked away. She frowned, puzzled, and looked about them to find Chris sitting behind her on the boardwalk before the jail, whose only cell was finally empty again. Mary stopped and almost stared. The gunslinger was actually wearing a light blue shirt, almost the very same color as Vin's eyes!

She had understood the moment she'd seen Chris why Vin had not wanted her to continue her question. He had known she was going to confirm their appointment for reading later that afternoon, and he wanted no one to know that she was teaching him to read because learning to do so, up until now, had been an opportunity the poor dear had never really received. That was not a puzzlement to Mary but what was was to see Chris Larabee in a blue shirt instead of the pitch black clothing that he constantly wore.

Chris grinned at the way she gawked at him, reminding Mary both of her manners and that she was a widow woman. She cleared her throat and, as Vin had done before her, swiftly averted her gaze. "Mister Larabee."

Chris shifted his cheroot to the other side of his mouth, and Mary wondered how she had not known he was there by the awful smell of the thing. Had she become so accustomed to being around the seven men who protected her town that she no longer minded the scent of tobacco? She certainly preferred to think not!

Chris' narrow, green eyes darted suspiciously between Vin and Mary. "What are you two on for?"

"Oh! Hum . . . " She thought swiftly while buying time by clearing her throat again. "I'm having a tad bit of a problem with the press sticking. I need an extra set of hands, preferably stronger than my own. Mister Tanner was gracious enough to offer to assist me."

Chris again shifted his cheroot. Mary tried to keep from squirming underneath his intent gaze. She hated lying, and the man was making it much worse than it had to be for he wasn't buying her fib at all! Still, she would not be the one to break Vin's secret, or any secret the guys entrusted to her, ever!

"Yup," Vin drawled, bringing Chris' attention away from her. Mary felt a breath go out of her which she had not even realized she had been holding; her tight skirts suddenly seemed a great deal more loose. She'd have to remember to thank Vin later, she thought, as Chris settled back in his seat and gave a single nod of acceptance. He might not buy her lie, but he wasn't going to push them for the truth, either.

Mary straightened her dark skirts and cast another glance at Chris' blue shirt. Then she turned to Vin while straightening her stack of remaining newspapers. "I'll see you this afternoon, then, Mister Tanner, and thank you again." She looked back to Chris and gave a polite incline of her blonde head. "Mister Larabee."

As she walked away from the two men, however, Mary couldn't help but to beam. The Magnificent Seven, as one writer had termed the heroic men who had come into her life, bringing her friendship and far more safety than she'd known in years, had chased away the last of the ruffians she had heard about being in their area for some time. The jail was empty; none of the travelers who regularly passed through their little town would dare to cause a commotion with the Seven still in charge.

Buck and JD were being their usual boyish selves, and she had a feeling, as Josiah waved to her from the roof of the church and she returned his smile and wave, that nearly everybody was going to be in a good mood today. Her grin grew again as she walked through pools of sunlight. It was too beautiful a day for even Chris to wear black!

**The End**


End file.
